Sunday, November 27

Fragment 60

"I have given you my help," she said. "I have given you everything I had."

Another fragment.

We found Canto with his father. Finally, after all these years, he was confronting him.

Too bad there was an army on the way.

"Where is it?!" Canto yelled, his voice cracking. "Where are all the stories in the Archive? Where did you put them?!"

Arkos looked sad as he gazed out the window.

"I didn't put them anywhere," he said. "The Archive...was empty when we opened it."

"I don't believe you," Canto said, practically spitting.

"I'm not a mad architect, Canto," Arkos said. "I wasn't going to give it to the pharm. I was trying to keep it away from them. Trying to keep it away from everyone. But I was too late. There are others, Canto."

"You're going to do something with it, I know," Canto said. "You pushed me my whole life to go to the pharm."

"I wanted what was best for you," Arkos said. "I've always wanted what was best. I'm afraid I bit off more than I could chew though." He turned and we could see the device. It was black and white and strapped to his chest. "It was empty when we opened it," he said. "Empty except for this. A trap they set. Get out, Canto. Please get out."

I tried. I tried to pull Canto away, but it was no use. He rushed forward, trying to diffuse the black and white bomb.

I left him there and ran. I left my friend behind. Of all the things I regret, I regret this the most.

It wasn't a normal bomb. The Spire has sensors for those. It can smell explosives. Instead, the black and white bomb, as I've now learned, creates a miniature black hole for a fraction of a second. Enough time to create a sizable vacuum, a implosion.

I heard a rush of wind and suddenly felt gravity pull me back. It was too late, I was too close. Canto and Arkos, at the center of the implosion, were already dead. Omega had vanished with the empty Archive and I hoped she was still alive.

And I was fighting against gravity itself. And I was losing.

Suddenly, I felt something grab my arm and pull me forward. It pulled me more and more until the effects of the black and white bomb no longer had any affect on me. I collapsed on the floor and, tiredly, looked up.

The Slender Man looked down at me. His arms were tentacles. The tentacles that had gripped me.

The Slender Man had saved me.

He gestured upward and I looked up. The ceiling above me was gone. I could see drones arriving in the sky. I knew what he wanted me to do.